RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

But that is not a nitro. I was kind of leaning towards a nitro.

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

Ever tried a hobbico superstar? There are different versions of the superstars and they are nitro powered (1 is electric powered). they can also be converted to electric motor. Try the Superstar.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...ar&FVPROFIL=++

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

"Not requiring" work may give you the feeling that you can take it out of the box and fly it as is.

That is how it is sold.

If you check the threads you'll see that things like the servo blocks often come improperly glued, so yes work is a MUST before you fly it the first time.

What you must do to it is fairly minimal and can be done in an hour or so.

Don't let this necessarily dissuade you from necessarily getting one.

Hi wing planes are preferred as trainers, but I and many others had no problems starting out with the PTS.

The extra setup will also better familiarize you with your plane and is time well spent before your first flight.

Consider a sim as well as joining a club.

Any good quality sim will cost, but will be worth it's cost over and over again.

On days you can't fly, you will be able to use the sim to hone your skills.

---

BTW: We've had several Nexstar planes with the ATC setup go crazy at our field and nose in on their first flight or two.

Most people now fly with the ATC off now.

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

R/C-Plane, MT has all ready said that he is going to do it right, use a four channel 40 size glow trainer and join a club. Considering starting with a 1 1/2 lb. 3 channel electric plane is going backwards. The plane you suggest does fly well but if MT started with that, he would still need training to get used to a glow setup regarding engine starting, tuneup ect. and a nitro trainer would fly at rocket speeds compared to the electric trainer. If MT switched to a standard glow trainer after flying the electric without being on a buddy box, he would probably crash it in 10 seconds.[>:]

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

I am a newbe also and have the p51pts and am very impressed with it. the low wing design make it almost impossible to flip over like some high wing trainers and with the landing gear pointed foward like it does its very unlikely that you can nosedive it while taxiing or take-offs. you can get in your radio and set your control setting to limit your "throws" to keep from over steering.

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

OH ya JOIN A CLUB and have a experinced person help you

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

Thanks guys. I will most likely be buying the P-51, and join a club definatly. I am looking forward to using that sim to see how good I am at flying!

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

A nose dive is a maneuver performed while in the air, not on the ground, and the results would not be good no matter what airplane being flown flying if its done into the ground.

What your referring to a nose over, the P-51 PTS can nose over like any other tail dragger. As far as flipping, a low wing will flip as easy as a high wing. If you are referring to going up on a wing tip and nose, a high wing tricycle geared plane is more susceptible to having a wing raised with a quartering tail wind or direct cross wind. On take off and landing into the wind, tricycle geared aircraft are less susceptible to going up on the nose, or on a wing tip unless ground looped. Tricycle geared aircraft are also easier to learn take-off and landing with. I've seen the P-15 PTS end up on its nose on landing, flip on it's back, nose over on take-off, ground loop, and have the landing gear ripped out.

MT RC,

Before you jump on the P-51 PTS, go to a club meeting, find out what they have for flight instruction, and what type of aircraft and radio they prefer at that club. You may end up with a plane that is not popular there, and possibly no buddy box available to fly on.

Hogflyer

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

Hogflyer is right. I don't think 3 channel radios even have a buddy box connection and no one wants to try training on someones small electric. They can get in trouble if the wind comes up and then after 1 flight the batterys need to be pulled and replaced or recharged for at least 3/4 hour while everyone sits around waiting. :eek:

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

What is a buddy box? Also, how hard exactly is the P51 to fly? What else can it do besides just fly around (loops, etc.)? Thanks

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

A buddy box is when you hook two transmitters together with a special connector that plugs into ports in the transmitters. The instructor holds the master that controls the plane. On the master is a switch that when held allows the second box, the slave or buddy box, to have control over the plane through the master box. This allows the instructor to quickly recover the plane by releasing a switch instead of grabbing the other transmitter.

The P-51 PTS is not really hard to fly, it's just not as forgiving as a flat bottom airfoil trainer. Flat bottom airfoil trainers will have a tendency to return to level flight when the controls are released while in a bank, climb or dive. The PTS, with it's symmetrical will be more aerobatic with the training aids removed and makes a great second trainer. The PTS also lands a lot faster, and the slower a plane flies in the pattern and on final the easier it is to learn how to land. Most trainers are tricycle geared which is also easier to learn take-off and landing over the conventional, or tail dragger gear of the PTS.

Hogflyer

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

MT RC Are you confused yet? LOL One thing about the flight sim that comes with the P-51 PTS, its not a very good sim unless they improved it alot over the last year. I would suggest the Real Flight G3 sim, but any of the higher end sims will work. As far as the P-51 PTS goes it is a great plane but not a great trainer, I'm not saying you can't learn on that plane but it is more to handle than a Nexstar. As far as the Nexstar goes it comes with a great sim ( a reduced version of G3 with only one plane and one flying site), but the A.F.S. active flight stabilization doesn't work very good if it works at all. Like most ppl suggested above find a local club and talk to the pilots there they will be more than happy to help you get started in your addicition OOPS did I say that out loud, I meant your new hobby.[:-]:D

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

If I may make a suggestion before you get theP-51, try looking at the NEXSTAR. I spent about a month trying to figure out what would be best to start with and was also considering the P-51. But found that the Nexstar is better to begin with. It has a safety system in it so if you lose control in the air it will statilize it self, were as all other trainers don't. I have been flying it now for 2 months and starting to remove some of the trainer stuff to progress. Have talked to alot of club members who as have the P-51 and they all agree it is better as a second plane not your first one. Look closer to the Nexstar as a first one. It comes complete and plus once your done with it you can transfer everything into another plane. Warbirds are nice and that is the way I am heading with my hobby. P-51 will be my next plane after my trainer.

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

as I agree, a 3 channel in not prefferable to learn on, but if you have to do it alone, then its a neccasary step. I am an instructor here on CapeCod MA, and have taught mny students. Usually I give them a large packet that I made, all about lift, drag, electrics, nitro, gas, field equiptment, ect ect... At the beggining of the course, I always give them a demo of both my electrics and nitro's. I truelly feel that alot of you other nitro guys are complelty miss informed by electrics. 1/2 of my students go nitro, I start them on either a 40 size superstar or a nexstar. The other half go eletric. I start them on an superstar ep. Both of these planes are great. The superstar ep, for about 340.00 you get the plane ready to go, and 5 batteries. Charge these up the day prior to flying, and bam, instant fun for about 1 1/2 hours. I know nothing of these one minute flites though? maybe I can help you with how you power your plane... lol. no tuning, just go up and fly. Then down the road, go brushless motor, and you get even more performance. I am not dissing nitro, I fly nitro about twice a week and electric about 3 times aweek (i get out to fly about 5 times a week). and mt, nothing is cooler than a big nitro going full speed 30 feet off the ground, it looks quite impressive. Just try to make and unbiased choice. the electric tech is getting pretty advanced pretty fast. they are great fun planes. I see success from all of my students with their superstar ep, they love them. I have had 4 go to nitro trainers after, just to see the other side. with no buddy box or anything, they maidend that plane, flew it, and landed it without crashing. Yes they go faster, but since you fly them higher, and they are larger, to scale, they look like they are going about the same size. Just my thoughts on it. And about the hobbyzone supercub. I taught my father on that and he has flown it into the ground on many accasions. Still flies great, most durrable thing i have ever seen. I have taken it a few times to try, nice flying little plane. But if you are planning on getting an instructor, get either of the planes mentioned above.

Thanks, Spencer Howard

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

Thanks guys, do you think a nice electric may be better then?

RE: Which plane for a beginner?
 

Actually that is not true.

We flew a PTS P-51 with the wing droops/brakes/flaps side by side with a Nexstar, and brought both to the slowest speed possible in flight to compare their decent and approach rates.

There was no difference when the droops were on and the flaps down. e.g. in training mode it behaves the same.